A Taste, A Touch, An Exit
by Miss-Adair
Summary: Maybe showing up out of nowhere to Keely Teslow's college graduation after years of absolutely no contact with her isn't Phil Diffy's smartest move.
1. Chapter 1

**A Taste, A Touch, An Exit**

 **Chapter 1**

It's moderately quite save for the murmurs of the friends, siblings, and distant relatives as they chat in the grassy area outside the auditorium. A few women have made fans from their programs to combat the intense heat that has settled over the day. _It's better than a rainy day_ , many crowd members say all the while wiping their foreheads free of the perspiration that settled there.

Those that stand outside are the ones unlucky enough not to get any seating in the main auditorium. That's where the graduates are currently accepting their diplomas with grand smiles which show their relief at having finally reached this point.

But the ones on heated grassy area outside are the unfortunate overflows. They aren't parents, mentors, or best friends that have guided those inside the auditorium closely to this point. They were there, sure, but not _there_.

And this is where Philip Rupert Diffy deserves to stand. He hasn't been there for the graduate that by now has already gotten her important piece of paper and is seated among the other 21st century graduates.

Phil can feel the sun beat down on him and two pairs of eyes boring into the back of his head. He tries ignoring the imploring stares. They don't exist right now as far as he's concerned. He runs a hand through his damp hair, tugs at his ear, then gives his shoulders a little shake to try and help rid himself of nerves. Because Phil Diffy is nervous. So incredibly nervous.

His heartbeat isn't going fast. It's a slow, steady beat, but each powerful pump of his heart he can feel throughout the rest of his body, like it recognizes his unease and is helping by making sure he has enough blood in his extremities to make a quick escape if need be.

Hopefully this won't go down like that.

Phil glances at the bouquet he got for the occasion. Roses mixed with white blossoms the florist named but he can't remember now. The cellophane they're wrapped in slides within his sweaty grasp. He is debating whether or not to take it off when the double doors to the auditorium burst open and a wave of graduates finally come to greet their loved ones.

The sudden change nearly makes Phil's heart explode with surprise. _Now_ his heart is racing. His grip on the flowers tightens significantly as his eyes scan the mass of black robes and square caps exiting the building. Each flash of blonde makes his insides jolt, but each blonde is the wrong blonde.

When the graduates have exited and he still hasn't seen her, he gets worried. He must have missed her in the frenzy.

Phil takes a few uncertain steps among the black-robed young adults. He tries to make his jaunt look confident while his head turns every which way to scan the massive group.

Maybe he got the year wrong? No, no. He double checked that. The school wrong? Double checked that too. Maybe she's still inside? Maybe she got in a car the second she got outside and left? Maybe she sensed his presence and is avoiding him at all costs? Maybe she's—

There she is.

Phil's heart skips a beat. Literally. It stops for two agonizing seconds as his brown eyes finally catch sight of the correct shade of blonde with corresponding large green eyes and wide smile.

Instead of going over there with the oodles of confidence he had on his way here, he stand there rooted in place a little ways away with absolutely no confidence whatsoever.

Keely Teslow. His (former) best friend and first love. (Only love.) She looks beautiful in her robe and hat, somehow pulling off the outfit better than anyone else. She looks so much like the girl he left years ago yet different. Her countenance hasn't changed. Phil can tell that even from a distance.

She laughs at something one of her girlfriends says then she's talking a million miles a minute to three other girls who talk just as quickly right back. They pose for a picture which a super tall blonde guy photo-bombs by posing behind them and sticking out his tongue with bunny ears above Keely's head.

The girls figure that out fairly soon and turn on the guy with joking anger and teasing pinches meant as revenge. The guy only laughs and bends down to kiss Keely on the cheek. Keely swats him, but her smile is still there.

Phil's smile, however, is gone with the rest of his heart.

No. No, wait. That could have just been a friendly kiss. No big deal. Everyone's being extra friendly, holding one another closer with the knowledge that they won't see them for probably a very long time. It's fine. She...that didn't mean she's moved on. Everything's ok. Phil won't know anything for sure until he talks to her.

Which he will do.

...any minute now.

He's wasting time. He needs to go talk to her.

(Come on, feet. Move!)

Then the unthinkable happens. Keely's large eyes finally turn his way. They pass over him at first like he's just another stranger in the crowd...which he kind of is. He knows this and yet it still hurts.

But then her gaze sweeps to him again and settles there this time.

It's a process—unfamiliarity first off, then confusion mixed with doubt before her already large eyes grow even bigger with recognition.

For a flash of an instant, Phil feels completely exposed, like she can see everything about him that has happened since his departure. What he's been thinking, what he's been doing, what he's thinking now. All there before her to critique and judge and analyze.

Phil gives her a smile, one he hopes is similar to the smile she once told him was "adorable" back in high school.

Keely continues to stare. Her body freezes and the color drains from her cheeks despite the probably unbearable heat that comes with wearing such a large black robe on a sunny day.

She's on the edge of her group so no one really notices her change. She just stares. Stares at him.

Well...it's not like he was expecting a hug or anything (except he really was and shouldn't feel this disappointed that he didn't get one), but some sort of emotion would be nice from her to know what she might be thinking. Phil supposes it's his turn to do something besides standing there grinning like an idiot. He takes one step towards her—

—and stops because she jolts in a way that suggests she's afraid, that him coming closer scared her. A friend notices this and turns to ask her something with confusion. Keely snatches the friend's arm and says something to her with desperation on her face. Keely points to Phil. The friend looks at Phil. The friend nods and says "Yes" which was fairly easy for Phil to decipher from simply reading her lips.

"No," Keely says loud enough for Phil to catch, "this is important. Don't lie to me. Do you see him for real? What's his hair color?"

Phil's smile makes a reappearance. She thinks he's a figment of her imagination. Cute.

"Brown!" the friend exclaims in mimic of Keely's volume level. She says something else, pulls her arm away from Keely, and goes back to the others, leaving Keely to deal with what she's seeing.

Phil dares to take another step. Keely flinches, but she doesn't back away like before. Progress. Phil takes another step and holds out the flowers as a sort of peace-offering-slash-bribe to get her to come to him. "That's it," he murmurs to himself. "Come to Phil. You like the flowers. I know you do."

Keely looks around her at the other oblivious graduates. She looks back at him and points to herself. Phil nods. _Yes. You. You, Keely Teslow_.

Blessedly, Keely takes a step towards him. Then another. And another. Phil's heartbeat pumps harder and faster with each step she takes. When she's only one more step away, she stops. Her mouth opens and closes and opens again, mimicking a fish as she tries finding the words that won't come.

Just when Phil scrounges up the courage to speak, Keely's hands press against his cheeks and squish his face to the point of smooshing his mouth. Phil's eyes look to her, her hands, the sky, and back to her quizzically, but he stays still and lets her have a moment to make sure he's there. Kelly takes her time with moving his cheeks in comical ways though she doesn't laugh. Phil kind of wants to laugh. So he does. The light chuckle startles Keely back again.

He shoots her a million-watt smile and holds the flowers to her again. He sighs once, his shoulders rising and falling with the action. He finally speaks. "Hey, Keely."

Keely's hands fly to her chest, hands tucked under her chin protectively. (Why does he keep scaring her?) "Phil?" Her voice is music to his ears. He hasn't heard it in person in years. Old videos don't do her justice. "Is it...? You can't be—I mean, it's not poss...is it? No. Phil?"

Phil's smile falls a little. His mouth pinches together. The laughter is gone now. "It's me. Good to see you, Pepper."

A heartbeat. One infinite heartbeat where two sets of eyes stare into one another with recognition, understanding, and disbelief.

Keely flings herself at Phil with such force he nearly topples over. He manages to catch himself by staggering a few steps back. One of his arms wraps around her waist as he stands there trying to comprehend the girl that now has her arms around his neck, her cheek against his neck, and her tears on his shoulder.

"Phil," she sobs.

And he's never heard her sound this broken in his entire life. ( _Maybe this was a bad idea_ , a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispers.)

"I missed you so much. I can't—I can't believe you're here. You're really here!"

(The tiny voice is silenced.)

Phil's nervous heart flutters with happiness then settles into its regular, steady beat, finally able to relax now that he has her in his arms again.

"I'm here," he says. "I missed you too." Phil drops the flowers in order to wrap both arms around her. Now this...this is why he came back.

And this is the emotion he had been expecting from her—a joyous reunion. Keely had always been a bit on the dramatic side. This is just further proof of that as she sobs onto his shoulder, trembling in his arms, and squeezing his neck to the point of him having to flex his muscles there to keep from being choked.

And yet...maybe it's a little much, even for her.

"Keely? You ok?"

Keely answers with another heart-wrenching sob. She shakes her head. Phil feels this rather than sees it.

"You—You're not? Why not? What's wrong? I'm...I thought this was a good thing."

(The little voice is back. _Bad idea_.)

Keely pulls back. She keeps shaking her head as she furiously wipes at her face with one hand and fans herself with the other. This does little against the oppressive heat. She looks anywhere but him as she prattles on in broken sentences. "You...You—Phil, you...It's not possible for—at this time. Not now—this isn't how...is anyone else really, really hot? Can I get...?"

Keely's eyes roll into the back of her head and her legs collapse under her.

"Keely!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hello people of a long-dormant fandom! I greet you with open arms and a huge smile. I wrote this in a whirlwind of inspiration. A month ago I had a dream featuring Phil and Keely which was odd considering I hadn't thought of their show in YEARS. Long story short: I thought up a short story arc for them about...five? Five chapters long thanks to this dream.**

 **I think I'll continue it. I already have the majority of the next chapter written. I'm publishing it because I'm curious who is still a fan of this show. Be warned, I'm rewatching episodes online I haven't seen since it aired on Disney so I might be slightly out-of-touch with the lingo of the show. But I'll try my hardest.**

 **ALSO I have to say, I heard somewhere that there was a possibility of a movie for _Phil of the Future_ where Phil and Keely end up together back when the show ended. I don't know how true this statement is, but I'm counting it as canon despite not knowing how the show was meant to end. THEY WILL BE TOGETHER IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT. **

**Let me know what you think! (Also rating might change from K+ to T. We shall see where this goes.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

"Cover up?" Keely asks.

"Mmm...no go, but I've got mascara," Jillian says.

Keely shakes her head at her friend's offer. "I've already got that. Any eye shadow? Lip gloss?"

"Lip stick?"

"Good enough." Keely takes the tube from her friend and now former roommate's hand. She splashes her face with cold water once more, ridding herself of the last of her black tear streaks. Despite wearing waterproof everything in preparation for shedding a few tears in saying goodbye to her friends, her makeup was not prepared for the overpowering happy tears that came with saying hello to an old friend.

"Phil?" Keely calls from her place in front of the bathroom mirror.

" _I'm here_ ," his voice echoes into the women's bathroom from his place just outside the door.

Jillian eyes her roommate skeptically. "That's gotta be the third time you've checked on him. I don't think he's going anywhere."

Keely aims her wry smile at the sink in front of her. "Phil's got a habit of disappearing. Guess I haven't gotten over the time he disappeared for good."

"Well, not for good," Jillian says. "He's waiting outside like a trained dog."

Keely ignores the comment, choosing instead to work on salvaging her ruined makeup job. She had it all perfect. The subtle pinks on her eyelids, cheeks, and lips that helped emphasize her black-lined eyes. The bouncy curls of her hair would only add to that slightly innocent, fun-loving look she was going for. It was a slightly younger appearance that was meant as a last whim of youthfulness before starting her serious career as a journalist.

Because that's the plan. Journalism. An internship, a low-paying job, part-time, full-time, then career out of the thing she loves the most.

At least, career-wise that's what she loves the most.

"Phil?" Keely calls again.

" _Still here, Keel_ ," Phil calls back.

Jillian scrutinizes her friend once again before taking a new tactic. She takes off her hat and smooths her straight, red hair while looking at the mirror. "Where's he from?"

"Pickford," Keely says. "We were best friends in high school."

"Best friends?"

"The absolute best."

"Anything more come from that?" Jillian asks though she has a guess.

"Well—um." Keely's shaky hands drop the lipstick cap. "I...we were together—boyfriend and girlfriend, you know—for about a day. Two days. Three? Then he had to leave."

"Long distance didn't work for you?"

Keely swallows thickly. "No. I haven't heard from him in over five years. Phil?"

" _I am by the door. With the flowers. Butt glued to the floor_."

Jillian ignores her friend's clinginess this time around. "Five years of dead silence then he pops up out of nowhere at graduation. That sounds like something out of a rom-com. I mean, you faint at the sight of him in all his handsome, flower-bearing glory and he catches you, carries you inside, and nearly bites the head off Miles when he offers to help."

"He did?" Keely's reddened eyes—now less red thanks to the new makeup job—finally turn to her friend.

Jillian pretends to inspect the reflection of her eyebrows. "So what's the plan? You gonna hang with him the rest of the day?"

Keely looks back at her mirror-self who shows her wrinkled brows and worried eyes—a vast difference from her earlier mirror-self who didn't look like there was a care in the world. Now she has a care. She cares about Phil.

Keely's front teeth bite at the bottom of her lip, unfortunately making her have to reapply her lipstick. She opens her mouth to say her best friend's (whoops...former best friend's) name. But then Jillian says, "He's still there. I'll bet my degree on it," which helps Keely force herself to bite back her inquiry.

"I don't know," Keely says quietly in answer to her friend's question. She, Jillian, and a whole group of their friends were going to go out to eat tonight with their families. Jillian's uncle reserved an entire restaurant specifically for their oncoming group. It would be rude not to go.

But...if she went, that would mean leaving Phil behind when he came all this way, through all this time just for her. (Only for her, right? Does he have someone else to see in this time period? She should ask.) And now that he's here, with those expressive brown eyes, adorable smile, and welcoming arms, Keely doesn't want to be away from him. It's like she was starved of something she didn't know she didn't have.

Such a feeling is due in part to her having to force herself, after he left for good, to tell herself he wasn't real so to speak. That what they had wasn't real. That he didn't exist anymore, not in her time. He wasn't even born yet, therefore, he didn't exist. Him or his wonderful family. Or all their wonderful times together.

No. If she admitted it to being real then she wouldn't have been able to recover from her heartbreak. She only just got over it. But now, seeing him again makes a shadow of pain constrict in her chest, reminding her of what she thought she was long passed.

"He can come with if you want."

"I don't know..." That suggestion sounds even less appealing than leaving him behind. She'd have to share him, to hear his lies and excuses about where he was when all she wants is the truth from him.

Jillian rolls her eyes. "Listen, we're all still going to be around until tomorrow night. Ex-boyfriend or no, you're going to be at JBC's with the rest of us because there is no way you're missing our final farewell. Spend time with him today. It's fine. I'll let the others know something came up."

Keely's eyes shift rapidly around the features of her reflection.

"Ok?" Jillian asks, needing verbal confirmation from her sometimes-airheaded roommate.

"Ok."

 _"Keely?"_

Jillian smirks when she hears Phil's timid inquiry enter the bathroom. Apparently the separation anxiety goes both ways.

Keely nearly drops the lipstick tube upon hearing his voice. "I-I'm here. Almost done." She quickly shoves the rest of her supplies in her purse. Jillian holds out her hand expectantly. Keely's eyebrows furrow then smooth in recognition. She takes the lipstick out of her purse and gives it to Jillian.

"Sorry," she says.

Jillian shrugs. "You're distracted by a handsome man waiting for you. I'm not mad. I'm jealous."

Keely laughs as a blush colors her face. Turns out she didn't need the pink powder to tint her cheekbones after all.

Jillian heads for the bathroom door. Turning back, she sees Keely dragging her feet, paused halfway to the door. Then she shakes off whatever nerves or anxious thoughts she might be having and marches to the door.

The two graduates exit the bathroom. Phil immediately stands up. He shifts the flowers from one hand to the other but his eyes immediately set themselves on Keely.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," Keely says back.

Jillian looks between the two and rolls her eyes again. She addresses Keely. "I'm going to tell your mom you won't be at dinner tonight so you're free to do whatever. And if you show up, great. Bring your friend. If not, it's whatever. But remember, tomorrow you better _be there_." Jillian jokingly tips her graduation cap in Phil's direction. "It was nice to meet you, Phil."

Phil nods at her. "Nice meeting you too."

With Jillian's exit, a silence that threatens to be awkward settles between the two old friends.

"So I was thinking—"

"You sure you're—"

Their simultaneous attempts at breaking said silence makes the two chuckle which thankfully pushes the awkwardness back.

"Go ahead," Keely says.

"Well, I was just checking to make sure you're ok," Phil says. " _Are_ you ok? Do I need to prepare to catch you again?"

And there's his smile. His _smile_. It's the same smile. That upward quirk of his lips that makes him approachable to nearly everyone. It yanks Keely's heart in several different directions. In a moment of panic, her heart can't decide which one to follow.

Then it decides, and Keely giggles. She decides to be happy about this. She missed Phil, missed how at ease he made her feel, how trusting their friendship was. Some tiny part of her heart tells her she will regret this decision. There is plenty that can yank this happiness from her. She doesn't have all the facts from Phil like how long he's staying or his reason for being here. _(Danger! Danger!)_

But no. Her heart is not going to think about that right now. Not on this day when she was supposed to be so happy. Not when the best friend she's ever known is standing in front of her with that adorable smile and earnest eyes.

Keely's gaze settles onto the floor, still not quite able to keep eye contact with the anomaly before her. She has to force her eyes back up. "I'm—I'm fine. Thanks."

Phil bobs his head in a nod. Then he jerks slightly as if realizing something and holds out the flowers to her. "Congratulations, by the way. You graduated!"

"Aw, flowers for me? You shouldn't have. Except you totally should have. Gimme." Keely takes the flowers and holds them up to her nose. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply. Phil made a good choice. The delicate plants' scent drifts through her nose, calming her. She always did like flowers. She opens her eyes to find Phil looking at her kinda funny. "What?"

Phil shakes his head. "Nothing! Hey, what did your friend mean about tonight? Did you have plans to go somewhere?"

"Well, yes. A bunch of us were going to go out to eat tonight with our families."

At this, Phil's smile disappears completely for one horrid second before he puts on a tacked on happy-face Keely sees right through. "That sounds awesome. A lot of fun. I'm sorry for just showing up like this. I should have figured you had plans. I can—"

"What? No!" Keely exclaims. "I haven't seen you in years, Phil Diffy. No way you're leaving my sight. Unless...unless you have somewhere else to be. Someone else to see..."

Phil's smile returns, only this time it's gentle. "Nowhere I have to be and nowhere I'd rather be."

The warmth this phrase gives Keely spreads throughout her insides, a much more comfortable warmth than the stifling outside heat. "Good. I-I'm glad."

For one lovely moment in time, the two old friends stand there looking at each other, like no time has been stolen from them.

"Hey, you maybe wanna grab some ice cream? I don't know about you, but it's way too hot not to have something frosty. My treat."

"Your treat? You've got twenty-first century money?"

Phil pretend-fixes the collar of his shirt. "I have my ways, Miss Teslow. Besides, there's no way the graduate will be paying."

Keely nods her head once in copy of Phil's mock-serious tone. "Alright. Your treat."

"Shall we?" Phil holds out his hand.

It's an innocent enough gesture. One friend to another. And yet, because it's _them_ , it means more. They haven't held hands since high school. Since Keely worried about the notorious Teslow clammy hands. Since they were a couple. What would it mean if she took it?

Keely takes too long staring at Phil's hand wondering at her course of action. He lowers his hand and clears his throat.

Keely can see him trying to hide his dejection. She doesn't want that. Didn't she just decide to be happy? That means not worrying about things like this. She smiles determinedly at him and takes his hand. She gives it a solid squeeze. "We shall."

It's like turning on a light, seeing Phil's face go from sad to glad. Good. Keely wants him as happy as she is deciding herself to be. As they head for the exit, Keely notices Phil look over his shoulder and the edges of his face etch into something like worry.

"What is it?" Keely asks. She turns to see only the empty hallway.

"Nothing," Phil says. And he smiles at her in his adorable Phil way that makes Keely believe him.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter two, people! I'm super happy to see others have actually read and are enjoying the story. Just goes to show fans can still be found. I have about three or four more chapters in mind for the story arch. (Possibly more—it's a rough storyline). I'm trying to toe the line between fluff and angst. It's proving difficult with this story for some reason, but I'm trying!**

 **Thank you SO VERY MUCH to those of you who reviewed! My writing is fueled by reviews, so I am shamelessly asking for more reviews to know if you are enjoying the story or if there are critiques you can pass along. I appreciate each and every one of you.**

 **(And hey, I kinda hashed out the last bit of this chapter. It might be rougher. Let me know if you see typos or other grammar issues please.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"No—No, Mom. I promise it's fine. Go ahead and have dinner. I know you were looking forward to trying the food there...Yes, I'm with him now. He's getting the—yes, Mom, _that_ Phil Diffy."

Phil chuckles. Keely gives him a quick smile before going back to her phone call.

"I know. I know...Mom, it's Phil! He's not going to do anything to me." Keely rolls her eyes at Phil who grins but loses the lighthearted moment when Keely's eyes flash with something unpleasant in direct result of whatever her mother's nasally voice says on the other end. Keely looks away from Phil when she says, "Mom, that was a long time ago."

 _(A long time ago_. Phil never meant for it to be this long.)

Keely's words imply his hurting her in some way. The rich ice cream on his tongue becomes thick and tasteless at the implication.

"Listen, I'll talk to you later, ok? I'll even text you every hour to let you know I'm fine. Ok? Ok...ok...love you too. Bye, Mom."

Keely hangs up the phone and lets out a huff, making her cheeks puff out slightly. "She worries too much. Did you get mine?"

"You're favorite, of course. Strawberry as sweet as you."

Keely takes the cone and gives Phil a light pinch on the cheek. "Apparently you're still a sweet talker."

"It goes with my adorable face." Phil does his best to make the expression that always makes Keely roll her eyes and giggle at him. The one that she's called adorable before.

Keely rolls her eyes and giggles. (Success!)

The two of them meander towards the trees nearer the edge of the park. All the picnic tables, including the ones in the sun, are occupied. Young families, families of graduates, and other random park-goers are among the crowd enjoying early summertime in the small city. The two old friends that settle underneath the shade of a tree are ignored by all except one another.

Phil watches Keely out of the corner of his eye. Sees her curls bounce about her face, sees the sunshine through the trees settle on her skin, (thankfully she has taken off the stifling robe to show off her pale pink sundress), sees her tongue dart out to lick the rapidly melting treat.

She's as beautiful as ever. Still full of life.

"Phil, yours is melting!"

Phil's attention is brought to the ice cream dripping onto his hand, down the cone, and onto his jeans. Keely laughs at he switches the ice cream from one hand to another to try and wipe the sticky goop onto the grass.

"That will only make it worse. Here. Let me—" Keely grabs his wrist holding the cone and keeps him steady as she runs her tongue around the top edge of the cone where it meets the ice cream, keeping more from staining his clothes.

When she looks back up, Phil's eyes stare hard at her. ( _As beautiful as ever_.)

"What?" Keely asks, suddenly self-conscious. Was that not ok? Too much?

Phil gives a small shake of his head and grins. "Nothing—just, thanks. I'll watch it better from now on."

"Good. So..." she says as she settles back against the tree trunk.

"So..." Phil echoes.

"What do you want to do while you're here?" Keely asks. "I mean, there's plenty to do, but anything in particular?"

"Well, considering I came all this way to wish you a happy graduation, I'd say whatever I want to do is whatever you want to do for celebration."

"That's really the only reason you came here?"

Phil tilts his head and gives her a smile. It isn't his adorable one or the grin that indicates mischief. No, this one is genuine.

"Yes. I wanted to see you again. And I got to. Yay!"

Keely giggles and lightly smacks his arm with her free hand. "You say things like that and you'll make a girl blush."

"That's the goal."

Keely hits him again.

"I get a hit every time I compliment you?"

"Not fair, I know. Too bad, so sad." Keely goes back to her ice cream.

This makes Phil remember he had been ignoring his ice cream. He rushes to eat the parts that have reached his hand. "So what _do_ you want to do?" he asks when his ice cream is back in its place.

Keely looks around the park, at Phil, then down at her ice cream, and finally back up at Phil again with an eagerness so like her it's blinding. "Wanna go to Pickford?"

* * *

Keely ends up having to thoroughly stomp out Phil's fear that he would be taking her away from the friends and family she should be spending time with while going on this small outing with him. It turns into quite a bit of back and forth. Keely would almost say Phil is scared from how much he protests.

"You sure you're ok to drive? You fainted earlier. Are you dizzy?"

"I'm fine. The ice cream really helped. And also getting out of the robe."

"What about your friends?"

"I'll see them all tomorrow. They'll all be there. I won't miss out on anything."

"But wouldn't you rather—?"

" _Phil_. There is nothing I'd rather do and no one I'd rather be with. Besides, you said you'd do whatever I want to do. I want to go to Pickford with you. I've missed you and I want to spend time with you in our old stomping ground. End of story, mister."

This thankfully silences Phil, and Keely manages to get him in the car. They begin the three hour drive back to Pickford. Keely turns on the radio which becomes their background noise for a while. She quietly hums along to the latest pop hits.

"I see your taste in music hasn't changed one bit."

Keely sticks her tongue out at him only briefly in order to keep her attention on the road. "No judging."

"Who's judging?"

"Change of subject!" Keely breaks the lull in conversation. "Tell me what your family's up to. Did they settle back ok?"

A small pang ripples his heart, half fondness—half longing. "Dad's back in his business. And Mom's—"

"Wait, wait, wait. What exactly is your dad's job again? Some sort of mechanic?"

Phil readjusts himself in his seat. The air conditioning in the car is a breath of fresh air. Literally compared to the stifling heat of the day. It's finally cooled down enough to be of some help. "An engineer, actually. He works for the company that makes the majority of the parts for skyaks. You know the one we had?"

"Yeah?"

"A total steal. My dad got it for practically nothing thanks to a small default in the design he could fix and his employee discount."

"Nice! _That_ should have been my graduation gift. A skyak."

"What I got you isn't enough?"

Keely briefly glances his way to give him a look that clearly says, _You're not serious. I know you're kidding, because if you're not you're an idiot and I don't think you capable of being an idiot._ It doesn't last because her attention is demanded back on the road.

"A skyak, Phil. Do flowers compare to a skyak?"

"I was kind of thinking," Phil clears his throat, " _I_ was the present. The flowers were a bonus."

Phil watches Keely's profile lose its smile. There is a brief yet loud pause. "Phil, you're more than enough. You were more than I dared hope for."

Phil can't stop the internal happiness from fluttering against his ribcage.

"So what's your mom doing?" Keely asks, beckoning the cheerful atmosphere to return.

"The twenty-first century influenced Mom a little more than the rest of us," Phil informs her. "She's really gotten into old-timey things. Remember when I told you about her being 'The Hostess with the Mostess'? Yeah, things like that she's been trying to get her friends to try. Scary thing is, she's been succeeding with some of them."

Keely laughs. "I can totally see that! Does she rope you into anything?"

"Thankfully, my quick thinking gets me out of most of her brilliant ideas for my participation. She keeps claiming how cute I looked in twenty-first century outfits and that I should try it again—"

"But you are in a twenty-first century outfit," Keely points out.

"Yeah, well, this is different. This is to blend in. Incognito. I'm a master of disguise, or did you forget?"

"I forgot nothing, Phil Diffy," Keely huffs lightly. She gives him a coy grin.

Phil returns it with a smirk. "Bold words for someone who can barely stutter through a cover story when I needed her to lie for me, Miss Teslow."

"Hey! I got you out of detention more times than I can count by going along with your schemes. If I were you, I'd be thankful instead of all judgy."

It's Phil's turn to laugh. "Ok, fine. You got me there."

"And now we come full circle. What's Pim up to, dare I ask."

"Pim? She's..." Phil's eyes glance upward at the car's roof, then out the side window, and finally straight ahead. "Actually, she's doing pretty well. She's in a leadership position. Sort of."

"Sort of? How I she 'sort of' in a leadership position?"

"It's...kinda weird. She got stuck on the idea of ruling the world. You know her logic on how she thought since she was from the future she could rule the past world? She applied that same logic to the future, saying since she has all this past knowledge, she can apply it to ruling the future—or present for us."

"Oh my gosh, that sounds exactly like her. I'll be honest, I'm surprised she's succeeding. Her schemes didn't always...pan out well."

"Nope, but hey, anyone can find their place. She found hers in politics."

"I'm glad to hear she's putting her scheming mind to good use."

"Yeah, good use." Phil clears his throat. "But hey, that's my family. What about yours? Your mom?"

"Same thing as always."

"What about our friends? Tia! Are you two still close?"

Keely's face changes to shock then melts with her laughter. "Tia? I haven't seen Tia in two years."

"You two don't still talk?" Phil asks, surprised. "But you two were practically joined at the hip. Even after she left you kept calling each other. I remember having to find you Via just to get you a different friend to do girly stuff with."

"Hey, you cannot deny how impossibly smooth your skin was after all those facials, Phil Diffy. You should have been thanking me."

Phil scoffs. "Oh yeah, big thanks there. What—What happened with you two?"

Keely shrugs. "Nothing happened. Life happened. We're still good friends, but we aren't joined at the hip as you so nicely put it. We get together now and again, but we aren't like sisters anymore. That's more me and Via."

Phil shifts a little in his seat. He's got plenty of room, all things considered. It's a decent sized car. A used one. An older car that was advanced for its day but now is a dinosaur in the eyes of anyone in their teens or early twenties.

"You're telling me you and Via are closer than you and Tia were? Hard to believe, Miss Teslow."

The edges of Keely's face smoothed with laughter wrinkle slightly. "We had a few bonding experiences after you left."

"Bonding experiences?" Phil doesn't miss the dip in her tone. "What, did you have massages and waxing sessions along with those mani-pedi marathons? I'd say our skyaking was far more entertaining of a bonding experience. What could be more bond-inducing than skyaking?"

Keely bites her lip. There's a heavy pause before she fills it with a voice too shrill to be genuine. "Oh nothing! Just—you were gone and we, you know, got closer 'cause I lost my best friend and was sad or whatever. No big deal."

Phil feels his gut sink. He works his jaw, and glances down at his hands. He doesn't want to ask his next question, but it probably should be spoken. "Does that have anything to do with what you told your mom earlier on the phone?"

"What did I tell her?" Keely asks.

"That it was a long time ago?" Phil notices Keely's grip on the steering wheel is tight enough to make her knuckles pale. She takes the next turn a little too sharply. "Keel? Please tell me."

Keely's eyes remain glued to the road as she speaks, refusing to acknowledge him beyond words. "We only were together two days. My best friend and first real and true boyfriend whom I genuinely cared about with my whole heart left for forever. For the _future_ and I couldn't tell anyone where you'd really gone or why we couldn't keep in touch. I ended up telling them you moved to some remote location with no access to any technology and had to live like—like Curtis! I was hurt and sad, and Via was there for me even if she didn't understand why you leaving gave me no hope for ever seeing you again."

If the quiet pause from before was heavy, this one is the weight of the entire world stuffed into the moderately-sized car.

Phil swallows thickly. Blood is rushing in his ears and his heart racing, telling his body to do something to relieve the stress his mind is experiencing, but there's nothing to be done while strapped into a car seat.

"Ke—"

"And I don't want to hear about how sorry you are or how fine you were after you went back to your wonderful future with all your great gadgets after having finally gotten free of this restricting time."

"That's not what I was—"

"So maybe I freaked out a little when you came back because I crushed absolutely all hope of ever seeing you again. And then suddenly you're there and it's like five years of repressed shock strike me like a million lasers and bam! I'm bawling like an idiot in front of everybody. And I faint. I haven't fainted since high school!"

"Keely, wait—"

"And here I am in the car nearly—Hey! Use your blinker!—and here I am in the car nearly out of my mind because I cannot possibly fathom the one thing I kept myself from believing would ever happen has happened. You're sitting in the seat next to me, looking fantastic with that stupid smile you've always had, and I'm not sure if I should be happy or nervous or cautious, but I'm so _glad_ to see you and..."

Keely trails off. The tense look in her eyes and thin line of her lips keeps Phil from saying anything despite his previous attempts.

There is an off-ramp Keely takes and parks along the gravel side. Her hands remain on the wheel as she stares ahead despite the car being in park.

This...This is what Phil feared when going back. Keely's wrath. The first part of the day exceeded expectations. Keely is talking to him, laughing with him, enjoying his company. She isn't shunning him which was in Phil's Worst Case Scenario folder. This scenario right here is also in the folder. Keely holding his leaving against him, seeing it as abandonment.

Phil opens his mouth to say something, but Keely beats him to the punch.

"When are you going back?" she asks. Her voice is flat and entirely too calm with a hint of casual. It brings up memories of Keely's reporter voice. The one she uses for interviewing those for her news segment. Phil would be warmed by the memory if the current situation was different. "Because I'd really like to know. I'd like to start preparing myself now for the goodbye."

"I'm not leaving again."

Keely's head snaps in his direction. There is no joy on her face like Phil expected. (He's got to stop giving himself such high expectations if they get crushed like this.)

"Don't you dare lie to me, Philip Rupert Diffy. You owe me the truth."

Phil winces at the full use of his name. Not the affectionate exasperation of "Phil Diffy" or the casual "Phil" but the full-fledge-middle-name-included address.

"I'm giving you the truth," Phil says firmly. He fights against his seatbelt to angle himself towards her. His knees bump too many hard surfaces in the small car. "I...I wasn't sure if you would be on board with the idea. It—I mean, I've been away a while, I get it. That's why I wasn't sure if I'd be welcome—" Phil chokes on the words, "—back in your life."

Keely's green eyes grow. Tears finally appear. Phil isn't sure if that's a good sign. Keely used to be able to cry at the drop of a hat. What do the tears mean now?

But then she's unbuckling her seatbelt and scooching herself over the middle of the seat to wrap her arms around Phil's neck. Phil himself gets a little tangled in his seatbelt, fighting it to get a better grip on Keely because hugging is a good sign and it feels so _good_ to hold her again.

"Phil, you're always welcome," Keely says in a quaking voice. "I'll always want you in my life. If you're staying, you're never allowed to leave it again. You understand me?"

"I'll never leave. I'll never want to leave," Phil mutters against her shoulder. He hopes the sincerity comes through. Because he means it.

After a few minutes like that, Keely finally pulls away. She gets an odd look on her face and immediately goes back to her own seat. She pulls down the visor and lifts up the flap to look at herself in the tiny mirror. The sigh she gives is longsuffering.

"This is the second time today I ruined my makeup."

"You look fantastic," Phil says. Keely gives him the same _You're not serious_ expression from earlier and Phil defends his words. "I mean it. The raccoon look really works for you. I bet you're the only one who can pull it off."

Keely pinches his arm and Phil gives a small yelp. "Alright, that's enough out of you." Keely puts her seatbelt back on and puts the car into gear. "Let's get going."

They get back on the main road and drive in silence for a while, allowing themselves to recover from the recent high emotions.

"Phil?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure you're staying?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Phil's pleasure at seeing her content expression dampens when he looks in the rearview mirror. He never mentions the black car that's been following them since the beginning of their drive.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter is in dedication to the reviewers who showed love to this story. It's because of you I finished another chapter! Thank you! I'd like to give a special thanks to Lee who is a guest reviewer. Sir, wherever you are, thank you for your kind words about my story. They are EXACTLY what I was hoping for when writing it. I hope you enjoy what's to come! For you, I promise to do my absolute best to finish this story. (And I really hope you look back on this story and see that I'm still posting for it!)**


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